Dwight Yoakam Pays Tribute to Merle Haggard During Lubbock Performance
It was a nostalgic night for traditional country music fans as Dwight Yoakam gave an outstanding performance this past Friday at the Lubbock Municipal Auditorium.
Lubbock-based Texas Country artist Red Shahan opened up the show. His smooth songwriting and traditional country riffs put audience members in the mood to dance, some even shouting so from the crowd. Shahan was recently listed on The Rolling's Stone's 10 New Country Artists You Need to Know this past February.
Shahan's laid back sound was the perfect compliment for the bedazzled set Dwight Yoakam had planned for concertgoers.
Yoakam's bandmates wore sparkling blazers and played brightly-colored instruments, giving you the feel (as Yoakam was introduced) that they were indeed "straight out of Hollywood, California!"
The storied singer entered stage right in full song mode, following his entrance with a tribute to his longtime mentor and friend, the late Merle Haggard.
Yoakam said Haggard was a heavy influence on much of his music early in his career, and the band had been playing the tribute set for nearly two years, since the death of Haggard. He played "Silver Wings," "Mama Tried" and other hits in honor of the country music legend.
After that, it was all Yoakam, all night long. And the dance moves were on point, too. His latest album, Swimmin' Pools, Movies Stars..., is available now.